Automatic valve



UNITED STATES.' PATENT OFFICE Application lilly 29, 1943, Serial N0. 498,633

This invention relates to improvements in automatic valves and more particularly to il'oat controlled valves.

Among the objects of the invention is the provision of means for automatically timing the closing of iluid service valves.

Another object is the simpliiication of the structure and operation of valves in this class.

A further object is easy accessibility of al1 the. parts of the structure liable to be rendered inoperative by obstructive matter suspended in the pressure medium.

This valve is designed particularly to control the time period oi the cycle of operation of lawn sprinkler systems for gardens, golf courses and extensive areas where under or over irrigation' may cause serious damage. In overhead irrigation it is often desirable to irrigate for two or more hours over a given area.then move the sectional supply lines tonew areas. Because of the labor involved in servicing many acres, manual control of the water ilow is not reliable, except by such additional automatic means as provided by the present invention.

Other objects and advantages will appear as the description progresses.

In this specification and the accompanying drawing the invention is disclosed in its present preferred form. But it is to` be understood that it is not limited to this form; because it may be embodied in modiilcations Within the spirit of the invention as defined in the claims following the description.

The one sheet of drawings shows a vertical section of a valve constructed in accordance with this invention. The dotted lines indicate the `position oi the oat when the service is automatically stopped.

In detail the construction illustrated in the 1 drawing comprises the globe type valve body I,

This gasket also actsl as a soft seat for the valve 8 having the stem 9 extending upwardly through the plug l.- The piston 4 has the annular rim I0, that also seats against the gasket 6', stopping leakage upward in operative condition when the valve at 2 is open, except for the small gap or notch in the rim at Il. This gap acts as 'a spew valve permitting a slow leakage past thestem 8 into the reservoir I2 fixed to the top of the plug. 'I'his reservoir may be formed integrally with the plug 6, instead of being assembled therewitlas shown. Itis desirable to form the wall of this reservoir of.a suitable transparent plastic, permitting visual evidence of the amount oi water accumulated therein. This wall .also has the graduated scale I2 thereon for an accurate check ,of the desired water level.

The iloat I3 is frictionally slidable on the guide rod I4, forming an extension of the stem 9 for adjusting the time cycle of operation. This rod is centered in a guide hole inthe cover I5 on top of the reservoir wall. to the linut of its adjusted position, it lifts the valve 8 and stops the flow into the reservoir.

The stop valve Il is mounted on 'a stem I8 guided in the T iitting I8' screwed into the bottom of the valve body I. This valve seats against the top of the iitting I8'. 4The stem passes through the packing I9 and terminates in the knurled nut 20 which controls the tension of the spring 2| interposed between the nut and the packing for maintaining the valve Il normally closed. The itting has the bypass 22 for draining the reservoir l2 above. For outdoors installations this bypass need not b connected with the outlet neck at B, since there is no objection to .draining the reservoir on the ground beneath.

This invention operated substantially as iollows: 'I'he ilow through the valve body l, from A to B is normally closed by the pressure entering at A, illing the chamber 23 and reservoir I2 and forcing the piston 4 downward to seat at 2.

The flow through the outlet B isstarted by manually lifting the valve Il and draining the float reservoir I2 through the bypass 22 and relieving the pressure in the chamber 23, permitting the pressure at A to lift the piston 4 and unseat the valve at 2.

The pressureat A continues to ilow through the spew gap II until the float chamber again illls up to the adjusted capacity, determined by the adjusted position ofthe float I3. This closes the valve 8 permitting the Vpressure to again accumulate in the chamber 23 until the piston 4 is forced down, closing the valve at 2.

Should it be desired to stop the ilow through B intermediate the operating cycle, the valve I'I can be lifted, permitting the reservoir to iill through the bypass 22. When the reservoir I2 is thus fille`d by manual intervention in the normal cycle of operation, the float I3 rises, closing the When the iloat I3 rises' valves 8 and 2, which automatically shuts oi the supply from the outlet B to the bypass i2, even if the valve i1 is still open, which would drain the reservoir.

Having thus described this invention what is claimed and desired to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A valve in the class described, comprising a valve body having inlet and outlet necks and a cross partition with a valve opening therethrough; a piston valve slidable in a cylinder in said body.

in alinement with said opening; a reservoir with a base closing the top o! said cylinder and having a guide hole therethrough; a. valve adapted to close said hole and having a stem extending therethrough; a oat on said stem within said reservoir and a bypass from said outlet neck directly to said reservoir and having a stop valve therein.

2. A valve in the class described, comprising a. valve body having inlet and outlet necks and a cross partition with a valve opening therethrough; a piston vvalve siidable in a cylinder in said body in alinement with said valve opening: a reservoir with a base closing the top of said cylinder and having a guide hole therethrough dischargins into said reservoir; a gasket interposed between said base and the top of said cylinder; a. stem extending througmsaid guide hole and having a valvethereon seating against said gasket; a float on said`stem within said reservoir; and a bypass from said reservoir to said outlet neck and having a stop valve therein.

3. A valve in the class described, comprising a valve body having inlet and outlet necks and a cross partition with a valve opening therethrough; a piston valve slidable in a cylinder in said body in alinement with said valve opening and having a ow retardlng spew gap in its upper end; a reservoir with a base closing the top oi said cyl- Inder and having a guide hole therethrough discharging into said reservoir; a gasket interposed between said base and the top-o! said cylinder; a stem extending through said guide hole and having a valve thereon seating against said gasket: a iioat adjustable on said stem within said reservoir; and a bypass outlet from said outletv neck directly to said reservoir and having a stop valve therein.

JAMES F. MOLLOY. 

